Greater Western Water (GWW) has appointed a delivery partner to start work on the Gisborne Recycled Water Plant (RWP), an upgrade intended to meet the needs of the region’s growing population.
Comdain Infrastructure, part of the Service Stream Group, will design, construct and operate the new facility, with works expected to begin late 2022. GWW is investing around $35 million on the plant upgrade.
The Gisborne RWP was built in the 1980s and treats wastewater from Gisborne, New Gisborne, Macedon and Mount Macedon.
It produces Class B recycled water which is used for local agriculture and recreation irrigation. The remainder is released into Jackson’s Creek under an EPA Victoria licence.
GWW General Manager Growth and Infrastructure, Amanda Smith, said population growth meant the plant is approaching its capacity and the upgrade is necessary to better serve the community and protect the environment.
“The plant is a vital community asset, treating community wastewater since the 1980s. But the region is growing and the local population is expected to increase by around 40 per cent by 2036,” Ms Smith said.
“We’re meeting this challenge by investing in the plant upgrade, to ensure we can manage the increasing volumes of wastewater by turning it into fit-for-purpose recycled water.”
The plant currently has the capacity to treat close to two million litres per day and when the upgrade is completed, this will increase to 3.65 million litres per day.
“The upgrade will benefit all existing and future customers, improve the health of our waterways and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“By using the latest technology, we will improve the quality of recycled water and the plant’s energy efficiency by almost 40 per cent,” Ms Smith said.
The new facility is expected to be operational by 2025.
